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NEW YORK—Moments before show time, Michael Kors was sharing his observations about urban living. “It requires athletic endurance and prowess,” he said. “We’re juggling gym bags and coffee cups and iPhones … But I love glamour, so it has to be about luxury and indulgence, too.” He seemed to be also articulating what makes great fashion today: Clothes that will get us through our hectic lives with ease, but still excite and inspire us.

This New York Fashion Week, the runways were filled with plenty of that fare.

The degree of eclecticism at these shows is always impressive, and this time around was no exception. If it’s classic fare you crave, the “Savile Row meets Ivy League” collection sent out by Tommy Hilfiger was strong and spirited. “I wanted to pay tribute to Tommy Nutter … the go-to London tailor in the ’60s, who dressed Mick Jagger,” Hilfiger explained backstage.

The sophisticated schoolgirl collection was sent out to The Stones’ “Under My Thumb,” and featured razor-sharp tailoring, black and white houndstooth and glen plaid in all-American red, white and blue. Cable knit sweaters mixed with bonded leather and leather knee-high boots reminiscent of knee-socks added edge to this classic sartorial story, which included short, kiltlike skirts, fedoras and great pea coats and jackets.

One of the most-buzzed about shows of the week was Oscar de la Renta, who had conscripted the controversial John Galliano to help with the collection. Galliano, who was fired from Dior in 2011 after an alleged anti-Semitic rant, has successfully completed rehab and is evidently ready to start being brilliant once again.

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It was hard to tell exactly how the two design greats worked together, but there was no question that Galliano’s influence had affected the collection. Some of the gorgeous, jewel tone gowns definitely had Galliano’s stamp on them, as well as the dramatic black suits, with their elongated skirts. The vibe was decidedly ’40s, with hourglass silhouettes and plenty of dramatic charm.

American sportswear giant J. Crew toyed with the classics by injecting an exotic influence. Tom Mora, the label’s women’s designer, cited Marrakech as his inspiration, and spun an east-meets-west story with rich colours, graphic patterns, intricate embroideries and lush textures. He offered an offbeat mix of tailored tweeds with rhinestone covered lapels, or embroidered navy pea jackets with metal bouillon details. And brocade pants were everywhere.

Elegant fabrications and attention to old-world craftsmanship came on strong in several collections. Vera Wang returned to her couturiere roots with lavish, sculptural silhouettes in a variety of rich materials, from floral jacquards to metallic brocades and Chantilly lace. An egg-shape was the mainstay here, with fox wraps and capelets adding an extra shot of glamour to the sophisticated vision.

Carolina Herrera also played with fur trim in a ladylike collection that was one of the week’s strongest. Herrera’s women looked like romantic heroines from the ’40s, with their nipped in waists and flirty skirts. And the jewel tones in the collection—another trend for fall—from ruby red and amethyst to emerald and sapphire, all added to the rich romance of Herrera’s vision.

It wasn’t a season that attracted a plethora of celebrities, though Miley Cyrus did manage to get out to the Marchesa show for designers Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig’s ode to 17th-century Spain. Inspired by an equestrian portrait by Francisco de Goya, the collection riffed on matador detailing with satin jackets and embroidered pants. But it was the gowns — some in blood red, fuchsia and amethyst, beautifully draped and with romantic corsets — that had the largest impact.

Canada’s Jeremy Laing, who challenges himself each season by experimenting with fabrications and playing with silhouettes, toyed with a variety of unique textured fabrics, including dazzling gold laminated cotton seersucker, which he fashioned into a biker jacket and skinny pants, and a sumptuous trench coat. It proposed a relaxed, New Age approach to dressing.

And Narciso Rodriguez gave us a dreamy lesson in geometry with elegant, easy-to-wear pieces that were artful yet minimalist. His collection ran the gamut from skilfully tailored wool pieces, many in black, to colourful crepe and silk dresses with asymmetrical hemlines, some colour-blocked in contrasting shades.

These days, even the most established designers have to strategize about how to excite their customer. New York Fashion Week was full of those who had succeeded in coming up with a unique point of view, while still creating clothes women actually want to wear.

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